12 Of The Best War Movies To Watch This Memorial Day
It’s Memorial Day, which a lot of us just celebrate without really thinking too much about what the day really stands for and what it means. It’s a day off, school is out (or nearly out) and the weather is perfect. Time to barbeque. Time to save big on all the DEALS, DEALS, DEALS! Nothing really commemorates the men and women who have died in war like a Memorial Day Sale.
I suppose since I’m an entertainment writer from a family with almost no military in it, the best way I know how to pay tribute to the fallen is to watch movies that tell their stories. Here are twelve that would make for a good watch this evening after all the festivities.
1. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Steven Spielberg’s masterful WWII movie is simply one of the best war movies ever made. While it only touches on veterans, it gives a stark and graphic portrayal of the violence and heroism of the brave men who fought on the beaches of Normandy and into Nazi-occupied Europe. Spielberg also directed Schindler’s List, another harrowing WWII movie focused on the Holocaust.
2. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) who won the Congressional Medal Of Honor despite refusing to hold a gun based on his religious beliefs. The pacifist Doss was first mocked and later applauded for his bravery and courage. Mel Gibson—a controversial figure to say the least—is at his very best in the director’s chair here.
3. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket remains one of the best and most iconic Vietnam War films of all time. It follows a group of soldiers from Basic Training—an experience nearly as harrowing as the war itself—into the chaos of Vietnam. As much black comedy as historical fiction.
4. Apocalypse Now (1979)
Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War masterpiece is as trippy and dark as any on this list, a weird journey into the Heart of Darkness (the Joseph Conrad book it was based on) that’s as much a journey into the mind as it is into the bowels of the war. The cast alone makes this a must-watch war movie: Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, all at the top of their game.
5. Patton (1970)
Patton won 7 Academy Awards when it released back in 1970, including Best Picture, Best Director (Franklin J. Schaffner) and George C. Scott won Best Actor for his incredible performance of the famous general. Fun trivia: Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and Rod Steiger all turned down the role before Scott was cast. Steiger later said it was his greatest mistake, but it’s hard to picture anyone other than Scott in the role now!
6. Born On The Fourth Of July (1989)
This is one of the more anti-war films in this list, but also one focused the most on the lives of veterans. Tom Cruise stars as Ron Kovic, a veteran who was paralyzed in Vietnam. The story is autobiographical and based on Kovic’s autobiography. Oliver Stone directs. It won Best Director and Tom Cruise received his first Best Actor nomination.
7. American Sniper (2014)
The Bradley Cooper-led, Clint Eastwood-directed American Sniper was deeply controversial when it released back in 2014 thanks to the controversial nature of the man whose story it told. Chris Kyle was a decorated Iraq War veteran and ace sniper, but upon returning home and becoming a more public figure, he drew controversy with his writings and statements. Still, the movie itself was very good, and painted a grim picture of both the Iraq War and the troubles veterans with PTSD face when they return home. (I wrote at the time that unlike some critics, I did not view the film as pro-war propaganda at all; quite the opposite).
8. 1917 (2019)
One of the best modern war films, 1917 creates the illusion of being filmed in just one continuous shot. It’s a tense, visually stunning portrayal of the first World War, and tells a small, but important, story about two men on a desperate mission to save lives. Absolutely worth your time.
9. They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)
We’ve heard lots about director Peter Jackson lately thanks to The Rings Of Power drawing lots of comparisons to The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. His more recent picture is the war documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, which uses original footage from the first World War—most of it never before seen—as well as audio interviews with the BBC of British servicemen. The footage has been restored and colorized. It’s a jaw-dropping production that offers one of the most extraordinary glimpses into history you can imagine, drawing us back in time over a century ago.
10. Glory (1989)
The story of a regiment of black soldiers in the American Civil War, Glory tells a harrowing tale of courage in the face of prejudice in one of the deadliest wars in American history. Denzel Washington won Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.
11. Gallipoli (1981)
Peter Weir’s Australian war film Gallipoli is one of Mel Gibson’s first films. Gibson and Mark Lee star as young recruits in World War 1 who end up fighting at the battle of Gallipoli under British command. What follows is haunting and tragic. It’s a brilliant film and coming of age story that shows just how brutal trench warfare was, and how unprepared the world was for industrialized warfare.
12. Bonus: Band Of Brothers (2001 TV Series)
While not a movie, the WWII show based on Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 non-fiction book of the same name, is a historical look at the hardships faced by American paratroopers as they fight their way into Germany, freezing and starving along the way. A stellar ensemble cast who you’ll recognize from countless other shows and movies makes this well worth watching (and the book is excellent as well).
Good list. Would just add Hamburger Hill.
Great list. Just after high school, I worked briefly with a Vietnam Veteran who would tell me stories. He mentioned this film 84 Charlie MoPic (1989) and said it was the closest he had seen to portraying what he had gone through. Probably tough to find. I saw it just after it came out and remember it hitting hard. Will have to try to track it down again.